This invention relates to structural building materials or articles obtained from crop plants and/or virgin or recycled polyolefin materials which comprises processed crop plants or residues thereof including plant fibers and/or resinous polymers or plastics, bonding agents, and water repellant agents which are either extruded through a profile die into useable building materials or articles such as door jambs, door sills, garage jambs, door slabs, deck materials, sheets approximating 4 by 8 feet, moldings, vinyl sidings, shingles, window sashes and frames, and other types of building materials.
The prior art describes building materials comprising a matrix of cellulosic substrates mixed with polyolefins to form wood-like structures which are typically used in place of wood and which are environmentally and structurally sound. The cellulosic materials described include soybeans, straw pulverized in flour form and other like materials but do not describe the composition of the materials of the present invention.
One known prior art is PREFAB PANELS AND SYSTEM FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,030, comprising a plurality of columns and beams adapted to interconnect to one another, said columns and beams comprising molded waste material and resinous polymer binder.
Another known prior art is a PROCESS FOR PRODUCING COMPOSITE MATERIALS, U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,238, comprising a cellulosic substrate being treated with a solution of a polyfunctional isocyanate in an aprotic swelling solvent to form the composite material.
Another known prior art is A WALL MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PREPARING A WALL MATERIAL OF SOILS AND VEGETABLE MATERIALS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,611, comprising pulverized straw, pulverized chaff, and pulverized palm material which are mixed with clay with the mixture being poured into a form and dried.
Another known prior art is a MODULAR BUILDING STRUCTURE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,196, comprising corrugated paperboard sheets which can be cut, scored and folded into multiple layers to form a building structure.
Another known prior art is an INSULATED WALL AND WALL PART, U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,275, comprising a sheet of plywood, masonite, plastic, metal lath, or the like and including a wall plate.
Another known prior art is a PEANUT HULL THERMAL INSULATION, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,815, comprising either a course grade or a medium grade of peanut hulls mixed with dust for blown insulation.
Another known prior art is a COMPOSITION BOARD, U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,979, comprising chicory root particles mixed with bagasse fibres and a filler in the form of coffee grounds to provide strength to the board.
Another known prior art is a LIGHTWEIGHT BUILDING COMPONENT, U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,924, comprising untreated chopped straw, grain chaff, rice husks, rock and/or glass fibers, binders, and mineral additives.
Another known prior art is a BUILDING COMPONENT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME, U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,198, comprising a peripheral sidewall composed of shredded waste material closed upon by a reinforced binder.
Another known prior art is a CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL OBTAINED FROM RECYCLED POLYOLEFINS CONTAINING OTHER POLYMERS, U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,662, for profiled extruded forms such as fence posts, door frames, rails, railway sleepers, and other applications where lumber is conventionally used. The compositions used therein comprise a mixed plastic matrix, reactive compatibilizers, impact modifiers, and reinforcing agents, and foaming agents if desired.
The building materials or articles of the present invention include sugarbeet pulp which has been primarily used only as feed for farm animals predominately in Japan as such and which can be mixed with resinous materials such as polyolefins to form building materials or articles upon extrusion or compression. There is a definite need for building materials or articles of the present invention which use materials such as sugarbeet pulp which is a readily available resource to make building materials or articles which have been primarily made from wood.